A light beam polarization converter for converting non-polarized light beams of an illumination source into a single polarization state, which may be utilized in various electro-optical devices, such as liquid crystal projection type televisions. A polarization splitter film and a phase retardation film are utilized to make the incident light beams of a light source focused and refracted with an under plate. The light beam, upon passing through the under plate, goes through a series of optical processes of polarization splitting, reflection, total reflection and phase retardation, and subsequently becomes a light beam of a single polarization state output.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A light beam polarization converter for converting an illumination light source into a polarization light source, comprising an under plate having an undulated lower surface and a ridged upper surface; a substrate having a ridged lower surface, substantially complementary to the upper surface of the under plate and facing therewith, and a ridged upper surface; a phase retardation film of high reflectivity provided partially between the substrate and the under plate; a top cover having a lower surface, substantially complementary to the upper surface of the substrate and facing therewith, and an upper surface; and a polarization splitter film provided between the substrate and the top cover.
2. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the under plate is not equal to the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the substrate.
3. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge lines of the upper surface of the under plate are not parallel to the ridge lines of the upper surface of the substrate.
4. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge angles between two neighboring ridges, of the upper surfaces of the under plate and of the substrate, are within the range from 45 degrees to 135 degrees, respectively.
5. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover is substantially flat.
6. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, cylindrically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
7. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, spherically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
8. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, non-spherically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
9. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover has a plurality of regular protuberances.
10. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover has a multiplicity of staggered protuberances.
11. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the top cover is formed through spraying.
12. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the top cover is formed through pouring.
13. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the top cover is formed through injection molding.
14. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the top cover is formed through smooth plating.
15. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the substrate is constant.
16. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the substrate is not constant.
17. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge pitch of the lower surface of the substrate is constant.
18. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 1 , wherein the ridge pitch of the lower surface of the substrate is not constant.
19. A light beam polarization converter for converting an illumination light source into a polarization light source, comprising an under plate having an undulated lower surface and a ridged upper surface; a substrate having a ridged lower surface, substantially complementary to the upper surface of the under plate and facing therewith, and a substantially flat upper surface; a phase retardation film of high reflectivity disposed partially between the substrate and the under plate; a top cover film having a flat lower surface, substantially complementary to the upper surface of the substrate and facing therewith, and a ridged upper surface; a top cover having a ridged lower surface, substantially complementary to the upper surface of the top cover film and facing therewith, and an upper surface; and a polarization splitter film disposed between the upper surface of the top cover film and the lower surface of the top cover.
20. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the under plate is not equal to the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the top cover film.
21. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge lines of the upper surface of the under plate are not parallel to the ridge lines of the upper surface of the top cover film.
22. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge angles between two neighboring ridges, of the upper surfaces of the under plate and of the top cover film, are within the range from 45 degrees to 135 degrees, respectively.
23. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover is substantially flat.
24. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, cylindrically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
25. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, spherically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
26. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the lower surface of the under plate and the upper surface of the top cover are, respectively, non-spherically undulated surfaces, corresponding to each other in a conjugate way.
27. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover has a multiplicity of regular protuberances.
28. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the upper surface of the top cover has a multiplicity of staggered protuberances.
29. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the top cover is formed through spraying.
30. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the top cover is formed through pouring.
31. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the top cover is formed through injection molding.
32. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the top cover is formed through smooth plating.
33. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the under plate is constant.
34. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the under plate is not constant.
35. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the top cover film is constant.
36. The light beam polarization converter according to claim 19 , wherein the ridge pitch of the upper surface of the top cover film is not constant.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 5, 2000
April 16, 2002
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